St John's College (Oxford) Library, University of Oxford

Oxford, England, UK

Contacts

The Library;St John's College ;St Giles, Oxford OX1 3JP

Phone: 01865-277330/1;Fax: +44 (0)1865 277435;Email: library@sjc.ox.ac.uk

https://www.sjc.ox.ac.uk/discover/library/

Description

"Built in 1596-8, it was the first in Oxford to be designed with seats and desks between the cases. The existing pew-like seats and the lower parts of the cases date from 1596-8 but the latter were raised in the 17th century to accommodate more books. The roof was originally ceiled, concealing the irregular roof-timbers; these were exposed in 1888, when the ornate metal tie-rods were inserted to prevent the roof spreading. Until the second half of the 18th century many of the books were chained; one chained book, a manuscript copy of the College Statutes, can still be seen at V.I. The Library was extended at the eastern end during the 1630s to link it with the new Inner library (now the Laudian Library).

The Library contains about 370 manuscripts, ranging in date from the 10th to the 20th century, and including some of great historical and artistic importance. There is a printed catalogue of those acquired before 1852, and a typescript one of those acquired since that date; a new complete catalogue is in preparation. The medieval manuscripts have been microfilmed."